Eulalia!
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Lord Asheye, the Badger Lord of Salamandastron envisions his own demise, prompting him to send a clever haremaid from the Long Patrol on a quest to find his successor. Meanwhile, Gorath, an orphaned warrior badger, has a vision of his own: a sword-wielding mouse tells him to follow a thief to Redwall. Complicating matters are Vizka Longtooth and his scurrilous Sea Raiders who want to capture Redwall for themselves. Readers won't want to miss this installment in the Redwall Chronicles, which, as usual, is filled with colorful characters and high adventure.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2007 Booklist

Eager fans can also welcome the latest novel in the series, Eulalia!, illus. by David Elliott. Gorath, the young badger destined to rule Salamandastron has been captured by the marauding fox, Vizka Longtooth. The heroes of Redwall Abbey are again forced to take up arms when Longtooth and his crew invade. (Philomel, $23.99 400p ages 10-up ISBN 9780-399-24209-0; Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 5-8-This addition (Philomel, 2007) to Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series features the usual diversity of brave forest animals--the boxing hare Maudie, the badger Gorath, and the hedgehog Orkwil--fighting villainous vermin (the golden fox Viska Longtooth and his cohorts and the Brownrats led by Gruntan Kurdly). Maudie and Orkwil help Lord Asheye fulfill the prophecy that he will be replaced by a badger and redeem their own standing among the forest animals. As with most titles in the series, the plot is predictable but satisfying and much of the enjoyment is in the diverse characterization. Jacques narrates, and a cast of actors provide the animal voices. The recording is a mixed bag. The sound levels are inconsistent between segments and vary depending upon the narrators. The actors' strong regional British dialects are often very difficult to decipher. On the other hand, the full cast brings the characters to life and will be enjoyed by listeners. Jacques reads well, but has a somewhat slurred, slushy voice and a heavy north of England accent, creating a challenge for listeners. Musical bits are enjoyable but puzzling--sometimes featuring instruments when none have been mentioned, while in other instances the instruments named are not heard. Musical introductions to each chapter are appropriate but don't fade quickly enough. Redwall fans will be pleased with this audiobook, but it won't have much appeal to casual listeners.-Louise L. Sherman, formerly Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Lord Asheye, the Badger Lord of Salamandastron envisions his own demise, prompting him to send a clever haremaid from the Long Patrol on a quest to find his successor. Meanwhile, Gorath, an orphaned warrior badger, has a vision of his own: a sword-wielding mouse tells him to follow a thief to Redwall. Complicating matters are Vizka Longtooth and his scurrilous Sea Raiders who want to capture Redwall for themselves. Readers won't want to miss this installment in the Redwall Chronicles, which, as usual, is filled with colorful characters and high adventure. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

Eager fans can also welcome the latest novel in the series, Eulalia!, illus. by David Elliott. Gorath, the young badger destined to rule Salamandastron has been captured by the marauding fox, Vizka Longtooth. The heroes of Redwall Abbey are again forced to take up arms when Longtooth and his crew invade. (Philomel, $23.99 400p ages 10-up ISBN 9780-399-24209-0; Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Gr 4–8— Pitchforks, daggers, mace, and chain—these are the weapons of choice in a warring animal realm. Lord Asheye of the fortress mountain Salamandastron seeks a new Badger Lord, one who has been prophesized to shun armor and a sword. This young badger is possessed by the deadly Bloodwrath, a ferocious rage that turns him into an unstoppable killing force. Mad Maudie, a haremaiden of the Long Patrol, is ordered to find him and bring him back to Salamandastron. She sets out to secure her charge but realizes that destiny has carved a different path. A group of vicious Brownrats, dressed like cannibals, plot to storm Redwall Abbey. Instead, they encounter the seafaring vermin crew of the Bludgullet led by the infamous fox, Vizka Longtooth, intent on the same mission. In the midst of the turmoil, the young badger warrior emerges and changes the course of events. Dialogue written as accented speech is challenging to decipher but ultimately adds to the character development. Fans of the series will not be disappointed as the historical events of Mossflower Wood, Salamandastron, and Redwall Abbey continue to evolve. Story lines from previous books are mentioned briefly, leaving readers with a few unanswered questions, but not at the expense of their appreciation of this heroic tale.—Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL